The Premier League run in can finally start in earnest. We’ve got news on that here, plus the title charges taking place across Europe, and the discovery of a footballing clairvoyant in the comments section.
Arsenal vs. Bournemouth
Bournemouth are only the second team to have both gone 10 games unbeaten and 10 games without a win in the same Premier League season. But despite that, they sit just four points outside the European qualification spots, and they have a good record against Arsenal, having done the double over them last season, and pushing them close when they met in early January.
Arsenal won that game 3-2 thanks to a brace from Declan Rice, and it was the last time Bournemouth lost in the league, 12 matches ago.
The Gunners are protecting a very healthy nine-point lead over Manchester City, who they will go on to play next weekend, but can’t afford to look ahead to that potential title-decider just yet.
Chelsea vs. Man City
Every game is now a must-win for Manchester City, so Pep Guardiola may be thankful that City’s first league outing back in action is against a team they haven’t lost to in 12 competitive games.
Both sides were comfortable winners in their respective FA Cup quarterfinals last weekend, albeit Chelsea’s 7-0 thrashing of third tier Port Vale is their only victory in their last five having lost their previous four games going in to the international break.
Off the field, Chelsea have spent the last few weeks announcing equally worrying record financial losses, so Liam Rosenior’s chief priority now will be ensuring the club don’t miss out on next season’s Champions League. The Blues start the weekend in sixth, one point behind Liverpool, who currently hold the fifth and final guaranteed qualification spot.
Interestingly, City and Chelsea have the top two pass completion records in the league this season, and the two highest figures for Expected Goals, a metric actually led by Chelsea (59.3 xG to City’s 55.3).
Espanyol fans rarely enjoy making the trip across town to face Barcelona. On paper, the prospects of the Periquitos pulling off a rare victory over their noisy neighbours look even slimmer this weekend.
RCDE are without a win over anyone since 22 December, a 13-game run that started with a home derby defeat against Hansi Flick’s league leaders in early January. Thankfully, due to a great first half of the season under Manolo González, which included a five-game winning streak just prior to the last derby, Espanyol are at no risk of relegation.
For Barcelona, this fixture breaks up another season-defining series of matches against Atlético Madrid - the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal is coming up on Tuesday - but Flick can’t yet afford to take his foot off the gas in LaLiga. Their lead at the top of the table may currently stand at seven points but there’s still 24 more to play for and another Clásico to come against nearest rivals Real Madrid next month.
Speaking of whom, Álvaro Arbeloa’s Madristas have a chance to cut Barca’s lead, should they win a trickier than it looks encounter with Girona on Friday evening. Jude Bellingham’s expected return to the starting line-up could give them a real boost.
It’s Retro Weekend in LaLiga, with the majority of the teams set to wear special one-off kits, referees doing the same, an old school ball in use, and even old fashioned TV broadcasts. We look forward to the highlight reels!
Como vs. Inter
In another timeline Como manager Cesc Fàbregas would be managing Inter Milan and sat in the Away dugout come kick off on Sunday night. Luckily for Serie A’s most upwardly mobile, fashionable lakeside club, the former Spanish international decided to stick with the project he started way back in Serie B, and it’s going very well indeed. Como find themselves in fourth, fighting for a first ever Champions League qualification, and in to the semifinals of the Coppa Italia.
However, Inter’s alternative managerial appointment of Cristian Chivu turned out pretty well. The Romanian coach has overseen 23 league wins in his first season at San Siro, leading the club to a seven point lead in the race for the Scudetto, one it seems they are unlikely to give up at this point.
We could see a battle of contrasting styles in this match - Inter have outscored every one in Serie A, rattling in 71 goals, but Como have only conceded on 22 occasions, at a rate of just 0.7 goals per game.
The games featuring Napoli and Milan, the two sides jockeying for position between Como and Inter in the table, could also be worth a watch this weekend. Milan could leapfrog Napoli into second if they beat Udinese tomorrow, while Napoli travel to Parma on Sunday.
When Bodø/Glimt were busy making themselves household names as the darlings of this season’s Champions League, there was a meme doing the rounds that asked if Glimt are this good, how good must Viking be? For it was Viking who beat the North Norwegians to the country’s Eliteserien title last year.
Now, we get an early chance to test that out, with the top two from last season set to meet in Round 4 of the new campaign. Never afraid to promote the top division in FotMob’s home country of Norway, we’re happy to do so now, with our league just getting going at a time when most of Europe’s are building up to a dramatic conclusion.
Viking, the defending champions from Stavanger, have won two from their three games, while Glimt have only featured once in the league since their crushing Champions League exit at the hands of Sporting. Worrying for everyone else, Glimt scored three unanswered goals to win that game, holding 73% of the ball possession, and creating chances worth 3.57 xG.
Coventry City’s 25-year wait for a return to the promised land could come to a happy fruition this weekend. Frank Lampard’s side still need a helping hand from their rivals but there are two scenarios in which the Sky Blues could secure a top two finish by the end of the Championship’s 42nd round. And that’s despite being held to a draw by playoff contenders Hull City last Monday night.
Firstly, the runaway leaders need to beat basement side Sheffield Wednesday, a team who’s nightmare season has now seen them go 36 competitive games without a win.
Then Coventry require Millwall to drop points at West Brom on Friday AND Middlesbrough to do the same against Portsmouth on Saturday!
In the second scenario, Coventry can afford to draw against Wednesday IF both Millwall and Boro were to lose their matches.
Should neither of those storylines develop, a minimum of four points from their remaining fixtures seals the deal for Coventry regardless of what everyone else gets up to in the promotion race.
A selection of long reads published in the app over the last week…
After putting in some poor performances in high profile games, the Inter wingback has turned things around, and is enjoying such a good campaign in Serie A that he may become just the third defender to win the league’s player of the season award.
Spurs’ highly-strung new coach was appointed during the international break but has just seven games to impose his style on a side low on confidence and sat just one point outside the Premier League relegation zone. Can he save the season for the Lilywhites?
Real Salt Lake have another talented youngster on their hands, with the 19-year-old winger already making waves this season, and reportedly being watched by European clubs. But will Mauricio Pochettino throw him a late wildcard and take him to the World Cup?
Don’t forget that with FotMob’s still-new enhanced live text commentary service for all the top games, you can now have your views aired in real time to other app users.
Simply navigate to the Commentary tab to see these fan takes in action, alongside polls, stadium imagery and expert opinions. Just email in to us via [email protected] to share your thoughts.
You never know, you may end up like Jaiden, who the world now sees as some sort of footballing Nostradamus after he correctly called not only Southampton’s shock win over Arsenal in the FA Cup, but also predicted the correct goalscorer less than 10 minutes in to the game.
Pro Tip: Click on any of the matches below, then tap the star in the right hand side of the match page to add them to your Following section.
Friday: We’ve already covered two of tonight’s more important games - Real Madrid vs. Girona, and Millwall’s trip to West Brom, but you should also watch out for Paris FC against in-form Monaco in Ligue 1. In addition to that, Roma take on Pisa over in Italy, and the Premier League weekend kicks off with a vital game for relegation threatened West Ham. They face the almost-mathematically doomed Wolves.
Saturday: Liverpool vs. Fulham and Brentford vs. Everton are the big Premier League games not previously covered. The three-way Scottish title race continues to intensify with both Hearts and Celtic in action, and the fairytale story in Swiss football could come to a conclusion as FC Thun take on Basel. Bundesliga leaders Bayern go to St. Pauli, while Dortmund have a home game against Leverkusen. Atlético Madrid face a test against Sevilla before they resume hostilities with Barca in the Champions League, and speaking of raised temperatures, rivals Norwich City and Ipswich Town clash in the Championship.
Sunday: There’s important games for sides at the bottom of the Premier League table, as Spurs go to Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game, and Nottingham Forest play fellow Europa League quarterfinalists Aston Villa. Birmingham City’s meeting with Wrexham will be keenly watched, as will Elversberg vs. Schalke, a potentially decisive game in the 2.Bundesliga. Finally, in Brazil, there’s the huge Corinthians vs. Palmeiras derby. Will Jesse Lingard get his first start in that one?
